The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that it is 22 percent under budget for the 2010 Census, largely thanks to the unanticipated cooperation of the American public.

"Before the census began, experts inside and outside the government predicted that longstanding operational and fiscal problems at the U.S. Census Bureau would doom the 2010 count," said Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, adding that it was also ranked one of the federal government's "most likely to fail" programs. "That didn't happen."

According to Census Bureau Director Robert Groves, approximately $1.6 billion has been saved so far. About half of those savings, he said, can be attributed to improvements in management and productivity, as well as the country's high participation rate. Seventy-two percent of Americans mailed in their census forms by the deadline, saving taxpayers nearly $600 million, as a smaller workforce was necessary to implement the bureau's door-to-door follow up stage.

That report is from August 2010. The U.S. Census pulled off an amazing feat and did so with far less taxpayer money than expected. Locke described their accomplishment thusly: "With proficient management, the cooperation of the American public and a little bit of luck, the census stayed on track with significant cost savings to taxpayers." In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau returned only $305 million from their $7 billion budget (~5%.)

No headlines. No bumper stickers. No fanfare. Just good government run by competent people under President Obama.